Hose hanger and method of packaging same



April 17, 1962 N. J. SUTTER 3,029,933

HOSE HANGER AND METHOD OF PACKAGING SAME Filed Sept. 26, 1957 lAh iMroe: A/cmMn/v J. 501-751? aw r FITToEn/EY-S United States Patent G HOSE HANGER AND METHOD OF PACKAGING SAME Norman J. Sutter, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Dalton lVIanufacturing Company, Clayton, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Sept. 26,1957, Ser. No. 686,398 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) The present invention relates to hose hanger and a method of packaging it. More particularly, it relates to a brackettype of hose hanger designed to receive and support coils of garden hose or the like so that they may be held on a support, such as a wall, or may be carried from place to place in a coil. Specifically, it relates to a hose hanger of the type having a supporting bracket on which is attached an arcuate plate, the coils of the hose being hung over the arcuate plate and confined by the support.

The invention also relates to a method of packaging such a hose hanger, which incorporates a nesting of the disassembled hanger components so that they may be put in a flat package convenient to display it on a counter in a retail shop, compact to store, and easy to transport.

Specifically, it is an objectof the invention to provide a hose hanger of the aforesaid type which can be disassembled completely and confined in a space having a low height, despite the awkward sizes and shapes of the components. Another object is to provide such a hose hanger that, when disassembled, may have its components packed together in a compact group so that they may be inserted into a flat, low, packaging box.

Other objects will appear from the description to follow:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a package of the hose hanger;

' FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing the hose-hanger in the box;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation of the bracket that acts as the principal supporttor the hose hanger;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the hanger out of the box and assembled for use;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of parts of the hose hanger taken approximately on a medial line through the support bracket; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hanger with the hose thereon.

Referring specifically to the drawings, and looking first at FIGURE 5, the hose hanger includes principal, preferably steel, parts in the form of a bracket 10 and an arcuate plate 11. As shown in FIGURE 7, the arcuate plate is designed to receive coils of a hose I-I. FIGURE 7 shows only one layer of coils, but it is understood that several layers may be coiled, one on top of the other.

The main support or bracket 10, is in the shape of a channel to give it rigidity. It has a forwardly and upwardly projecting end 14, a bottom or horizontal section 15, a back vertical section 16 that may be somewhat longer than the front section 14, and an out-turned handle section 17. The back section has keyhole or oval holes 18 in it so that it can be hung over nails or the like, and thereby supported on a wall.

The arcuate plate portion 11 is formed in two pieces 20 and 21. These are illustrated as being corrugated for rigidity. The junction between the two pieces takes place above the horizontal portion of the support 10, the two ends of the arcuate plate portions 2% and 21 being overlapped and bolted to the section 15 as shown in FIGURE 6. There are a pair of bolts 25 that pass through preformed holes 26 in the overlapping ends of the two arcuate plates 20 and 21 and thence through preformed holes 27 in the section 15 of the support 10.

The two arcuate sections 20 and 21 are preferably of the same size. In a typical garden hose application of the invention, each may extend through an arc of approximately 45 7 /2 inches or 8 inches so as to give adequate support to the coils.

With the foregoing design, the parts may be compactly disposed in a thin, square box, such as the box 30. FIGURE 1 shows that this box 30 is one having an end opening by means of a flap 31 that can have tabs or the like and is known in the art.

When the parts are disassembled, the two arcuate plates 20 and 21 are superposed, one on the other. They may be placed inside the support 10 in the manner shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, and the two bolts 25 placed in the nearby space. With such an arrangement, the two arcuate plates are not greatly difierent in height, when viewed in FIGURE 3, than is the support 16. Consequently, they and the other parts may be fitted together in the compact, flat arrangement illustrated so that they can go in the thin box 30. However, the user may remove them and, -by superposing and overlapping the one plate 2.1 over the plate 20, advancing the bolts 25 through the preformed openings 26 and 27, fasten them all together securely. The user may releasably mount the support 10 on a wall or he may carry the hose by using the overhanging part 17 as a handle.

The method of packaging illustrated greatly improves the convenience of storing the item and also the ability to display it for sale. In addition, it makes it much easier for purchasers. to carry the package. As already noted, the arcuate length of the two plates 2s and 21 may be approximately 7 /2 inches or 8 inches. The support 10 can then have its projecting angle 14 about 3 inches long, the portions 15 and 16 about 6 or 6 /2 inches long and the portion 17 long enough to act as a handle. This leaves a large gap between the portions 14 and 17 through which the hose coils may be inserted. With the foregoing sizes which are, of course, for example and not limitation, the disassembled hose hanger may be packaged in a cardboard box less than 8 inches on a side and an inch and one-half thick. This method of packaging and design of the hose hanger thereby provides all of the advantages that were hereinbetore absent.

What is claimed is:

1. A hose hanger capable of assembly and disassembly so that it may be formed into a bracket support with an arcuate plate and may be separated into a relatively flat compact group of components, comprising: a supporting bracket of narrow, elongated substantially square-shaped configuration with a principal vertical portion, a horizontal portion, a handle extending from the upper end of the principal vertical portion and overlying the horizontal portion and a relatively short vertical portion having a hole through it for attachment to wall bracket means, the handle portion and the forward vertical portion being spaced apart to provide a space for the passage of hose coils, an arcuate plate having a width substantially equal to the length of the horizontal portion of the support to receive the coils of a hose, which arcuate plate is formed in two approximately 45 arcuate length sections of at least substantially equal size that have their ends brought together and removably attached to the horizontal part of the support, means to attach the two ends to the support in overlapping relation, the arcuate plates together forming an overall plate of approximately in arcuate length; the plate having corrugations along its length the two arcuate plates when disassembled being of a size to be substantially combined Each may have an arcuate length of within the limits of the elongated support, whereby the disassembled hanger may be packaged in a compact package.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the parts are made of metal, the support being a continuous piece of metal channel element and the plates comprising corrugated sheet metal, and wherein the means for attaching the plates to the horizontal portion of the support comprise bolts, there being holes in the plates and the channel member through which the bolts can be inserted.

3. A garden hose hanger package comprising: a container for a disassembled hose hanger, the hanger having a support member of narrow, elongated substantially square-shaped configuration with a vertical portion, a handle portion extending outwardly a predetermined distance from the upper end of the vertical portion, a horizontal plate receiving portion extending outwardly from the lower end of the vertical portion and an upstanding, generally vertical portion of relatively short length projecting upwardly from the outer end of the horizontal portion, the last named portion and the handle portion being separated to provide a space for the insertion of hose coils; a pair of nestable, corrugated plate elements of arcuate shape of approximately 45 arcuate length that together form a combination arcuate plate of approximately 90 length, the two plate elements being or" substantially equal size with a width substantially equal to the length of the horizontal section of the support and a total length approximately that between the horizontal support and the handle portion of the support, the plate elements being attached to the support member by screws and being removable therefrom for packaging, said container for these parts having a rectangular, parallelopiped shape defining a bottom and sides, the bottom being just large enough to receive the support and the thickness of the container being just enough to receive the support and the two plate elements in nested superposed relationship within the confines of the supportelement, the hanger when packaged in the container being arranged wth the support member, including the horizontal portion, the vertical portions and the handle portion, lying against the container bottom, the plate elements being nested in superposed relation with the concave side of the plates directly upwardly.

' 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the sides of the container are of such a size that the support member lies upon the container bottom with the horizontal portion adjacent one side, the handle portion adjacent the opposite side, and the vertical portions adjacent the re maining sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,132,065 Bernhard Mar. 16, 1915 1,196,989 See et a1. Sept. 5, 1916 1,284,022 Wright Nov. 5, 1918 2,453,248 Much Nov; 9, 1948 2,517,118 Lee Aug. 1, 1950 2,639,454 Dory May 26, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Montgomery Ward and Co., Spring and Summer Catalogue 1956, item No. 84080681, page 877, article 28, filed April 10, 1956. (Copy in Design Division.) 

